After a year of miscommunication, assumptions and confusion,
members of the Oro Valley Town Council are confident they will sort
out the town’s complex transit situation. In the meantime, the July
20 vote on the future of funding for the town-operated Coyote Run
Transit System will be delayed until September.

Council members Lou Waters and Steve Solomon acknowledged they
and other council members made a mistake in assuming all the
necessary arrangements to transition operation of the transit
system from the town to the Regional Transportation Authority were
being made as directed over the last year.

“What we’re doing now should have been done before,” Waters
said. “We assumed a lot of things were being settled and then we
get to the moment and discover so much had not been answered.”

Waters and Solomon agreed the council are the ones to blame for
not following up with staff and asking for regular updates. The two
were clear that staff was not to blame.

Mayor Satish Hiremath said he doesn’t blame the general public
for being angry over the council’s handling of the situation.

“It was handled poorly, and for that I take full
responsibility,” he said.

Hiremath said while council members are left with unanswered
questions and wondering how the issue got out of control, they
still have to move forward with making responsible decisions that
are in the best interest of the town.

With Waters and Solomon being appointed to a sub-committee to
get answers to those outstanding questions, the mayor said he
remains confident the town’s transit services will be turned over
to the RTA as originally planned.

When the state announced 18 months ago that it would stop
funding Coyote Run, the town began seeking alternative services. It
was then decided that the town would prepare to separate itself
from Coyote Run in the 2011-2012 fiscal year, and the RTA would
take over transit services for the town’s 816 regular riders.

The staff was directed to help those riders find alternative
transportation, and make the transition as seamless as
possible.

However, the latter has not been the case. Only three informal
meetings were held at select homeowners associations, while no
public town hall meetings or informational sessions were scheduled,
leading many riders to complain that their questions and concerns
have gone unanswered.

The lack of communication, including no announcement about the
RTA’s plan to provide alternative transportation for many of the
riders, has residents questioning how prepared the town is to move
forward with a transition agreement.

Waters said the goal at this point is to determine what problems
still exist, and what options should be considered moving
forward.

Waters and Solomon acknowledged they didn’t realize there were
so many outstanding issues until June 1, when some residents begged
the council to keep Coyote Run. After hearing the emotional pleas,
the council voted 6-1 to continue funding the town’s transit
service for at least one more year.

The council then rethought the decision, voting on June 18 to
reconsider the measure at a later date. That date was scheduled for
July 20 until council members realized that the issue is more
complex than originally thought, and how much more work must be
done before they can cast an official vote.

The issue will still be discussed during the July 20 meeting,
but no vote is expected until September.

The RTA has been known primarily for road-improvement projects,
but has also stepped in as a player in transit services, with $534
million budgeted through 2025.

“It is now going to take some time to craft an
(intergovernmental agreement) that we can all sign,” said Hiremath.
“The agreement has always been that the RTA will take over the
services. I feel comfortable saying everything will be transferred
over by the first or second meeting in September.”

Hiremath’s confidence centers on a proposal being discussed
between Solomon, Waters and RTA officials. However, details about
the proposal are not being released, and RTA officials will only
confirm that they are working with the town.

“We are looking at some options to help with the situation,”
said Carlos Deleon, RTA director of transit services. “We are still
evaluating all viable options at this time. We are conducting data
analysis right now.”

While Hiremath, who serves on the RTA board, and council members
work to quickly sort out what was supposed to be happening over the
last year, it’s the Coyote Run riders who say they have been left
in the dark for way too long.

Terry Thompson, who pays the Town of Oro Valley $300 a month to
have Coyote Run transport his 36-year-old daughter Leigh to Tucson,
said a lack of information has caused him and his wife a lot of
stress in worrying about what the future holds.

Thompson explained that his adult daughter has the mental
capacity of a 2-year-old, and it is vital that they have a reliable
transportation system to get her to and from a day camp program in
Tucson.

Thompson said after Waters and Solomon attended an informal
meeting at his home on July 5, he is optimistic they understand
what’s at stake, and will get some answers.

Nanette Didio said for her it’s not a fear of the unknown. With
an open mind, the mother of 23-year-old Cameron Didio used services
offered by the RTA. Cameron, who is mentally retarded, requires
similar services as the Thompsons.

“The quality of services will be compromised with the RTA,”
Didio said. “The care, courtesy and respect that our current
(Coyote Run) drivers have will go away. Coyote Run drivers are here
when they say they will be here. They bring (Cameron) home when
they say they will.”

After using the RTA’s Handi-car services for two weeks, Didio
said she was not impressed. She became so uncomfortable with the
service that one day she followed the vehicle to ensure her son
made it to his day programs.

Deleon said the RTA is committed to looking into concerns of
quality service. The RTA requires all contractors to meet certain
standards, and will address any and all customer concerns, he
said.